Champ looks the one in Challow
NICKY HENDERSON looked the picture of a confused man after his Verdana Blue had chinned stablemate Buveur D’Air at Kempton Park on Boxing Day.
At least we know the champion trainer has his horses in terrific form, so CHAMP (3.00) rates the bet of the day in the Grade One Betway Challow Novice Hurdle at Newbury.
JP McManus named this horse after Sir Tony McCoy so he has a lot to live up to, but he showed he has an engine when snaring a handicap hurdle off a rating of 139 over the course and distance on the first day of the month.
Raised to a lofty mark of 150, Champ sets a very high standard.
In the Betway Mandarin Handicap Chase, REIKERS ISLAND (2.25) can get punters out of jail by taking this for Philip Hobbs. This progressive sort jumped like a stag when hacking up at Wincanton earlier this month when he raced off a rating of 124.
At first glance, it may appear the assessor has played the part of the Grinch by hiking the horse up 13lb, but that was only his second start over fences and he could be a lot better than his current mark. The five-year-old has had only five career runs.
LADY BUTTONS (2.05) bolted up on her last trip to the belt and braces at Newbury on the first day of the month, when she leapt like a salmon for Adam Nicol. The form of that race was given a boost when the third, Do it for the village, obliged at Chepstow on Thursday.
My selection landed a handicap hurdle on Town Moor in March 2017 and she is going to take all the beating under the same pilot when she rocks up in the Mansionbet Yorkshire Silver Vase Mares’ Chase at Doncaster.
Emma Lavelle and Aidan Coleman captured the big race over hurdles at Ascot last Saturday with Paisley Park and the pair can be in the money again with ENNISCOFFEY OSCAR
(3.15) in the Mansionbet Handicap Hurdle.
This animal has run over fences on his last couple of starts so the fact his shrewd trainer is sending him back over the smaller obstacles off a mark of
135 tells us she thinks he is well treated.
He was fifth of 17 at Haydock in May on his last spin over hurdles when rated 138. Given that, he has a cracking each-way chance in this eight-runner heat.